Govinda, once one of the biggest stars of the 90s with iconic hits like Raja Babu and Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, has been noticeably absent from the big screen in recent years. In a candid interview with The Powerful Humans, his wife Sunita Ahuja opened up about the reasons behind his long hiatus from films, blaming a toxic inner circle and his reluctance to adapt to changing times for the career slump. (Also Read: Sunita Ahuja says she never stopped Govinda from meeting Krushna Abhishek: ‘I still love him a lot’)
Sunita spoke about how she feels Govinda is wrong to live only in the present and not think about the future. She said that Govinda should plan ahead and decide what type of films he should do going forward, rather than continuing to live in the aura of the 90s.
Sunita Ahuja on Govinda's career slump
She added, "Why hasn’t Govinda been seen on the big screen for the past 17 years? Because the circle around him is completely wrong. Sab wah-wah karne waale log hain. Mera aur Govinda ka jhagda bhi hojaata hai kyunki main naa jhooth nahi bol sakti aur chaplusi nahi kar sakti. Aaj iske pass ek writer hai, secretary hai, ek friend jaisa vakeel hai, sab faltu. Kyunki sirf wah-wah karna hai. Wah chi chi bhaiya kya kamaal kardia. Abey tu sach toh bol. Hum sach bolte hain to chidhta hai voh." (They are all people who just keep praising him blindly. Even I end up fighting with Govinda because I can’t lie or flatter people. Right now, he has a writer, a secretary, and someone acting like a close friend—all of them are useless. All they do is say things like, “Wah chi chi bhaiya, what a brilliant job you’ve done!” I mean, come on, at least tell him the truth. But when I speak the truth, he gets irritated.)
Sunita Ahuja wants Govinda to adapt to changing times
Sunita added, "I told him, the 90s are over. It’s 2025 now. Look at what’s working today—Netflix and OTT platforms. But he’s stuck in his "Wah-Wah Productions" circle. "I told him to change the people around him, because as long as those four or five people are with him, they won’t let him grow. David (Dhawan) said the same thing. Someone who was delivering non-stop hits in the 90s starts believing, ‘I’ll do solo-hero films and they’ll work.’ But Bade Miyan Chote Miyan wasn’t a solo-hero film. Aankhen wasn’t either. The people around him planted this myth in his head: ‘Sir, you're Hero No.1—your film will definitely work!’ But where do solo-hero films work today? You need a strong subject and a good director—only then will it work."
{{/usCountry}}Sunita added, "I told him, the 90s are over. It’s 2025 now. Look at what’s working today—Netflix and OTT platforms. But he’s stuck in his "Wah-Wah Productions" circle. "I told him to change the people around him, because as long as those four or five people are with him, they won’t let him grow. David (Dhawan) said the same thing. Someone who was delivering non-stop hits in the 90s starts believing, ‘I’ll do solo-hero films and they’ll work.’ But Bade Miyan Chote Miyan wasn’t a solo-hero film. Aankhen wasn’t either. The people around him planted this myth in his head: ‘Sir, you're Hero No.1—your film will definitely work!’ But where do solo-hero films work today? You need a strong subject and a good director—only then will it work."
{{/usCountry}}Govinda was last seen in the comedy film Rangeela Raja, directed by Sikander Bharti and written and produced by Pahlaj Nihalani. The film, which also featured Mishika Chourasia and Anupama Agnihotri, had Govinda in a double role but failed to make a mark at the box office. Since then, he hasn't been seen on the big screen.
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